Learning 2-8

Every day is a new adventure for children at St Peter’s 2-8. The children are given a new theme each term centred around a high-quality text which immerses children in learning. Our thematic approach helps children to become ‘experts’ in their theme, which unfolds and develops throughout the term.

Adventures on our doorstep In the autumn term, Reception embarked on an adventure around the school campus to discover all things related to the number ‘1’. They enjoyed visiting Mr Walker’s office, where they found one Head Master wearing one tie. Well done Reception!

Reception also had a go at scrumping apples from Mr Walker’s garden! Reception used their teamwork skills to reach the apples on the taller branches. They then carried their apples back to school to chop them into a yummy, stewed apple treat. Mrs Mckie’s Virtual Talk Our family of schools love to help each other learn and grow. In the autumn term, Year 2 had a special virtual talk with Mrs Mckie from St Peter’s 13-18 Science Department. Year 2 learnt about Australian animals including wombats, koalas and kangaroos. Mrs Mckie answered their weird and wonderful questions and the children learnt fascinating facts about these special creatures. Did you know Wombats can run 25mph and have cube shaped poo?!

The children also learnt about the importance of protecting the habitats of Australian animals in January 2020, when we heard about the terrible bush fires in Australia. Resilient Romans Year 3 engaged in some innovative activities in the autumn term to support their learning theme, the Resilient Romans. They underwent serious training at Forest School to discover what life might have

been like for the Romans. Our little adventurers built their own huts and cooked with apples, showcasing their impressive resilience and survival skills as they worked successfully as a team.

The children have also used a fantastic range of techniques in class to enhance their knowledge and understanding of the Resilient Romans. In art they drew Pantheons and moulded their own Romaninspired clay pottery, whilst in cookery classes they have made edible Roman Rocky Road. adventures making friends amidst danger and hardship.

As part of National Storytelling week, our Year 1 children designed their own puppet characters from their theme story ‘The Wild Robot’ showing their creativity and imagination. They used their puppets to create their very own films at home inspired by their favourite scene from the book. They made their own settings using recyclable modeling materials, wrote their own scripts and edited everything together using clever movie apps such as Spark video or iMovie.

Year 3 also created visitor guides for tourists visiting ancient Rome and used apps to transport themselves back in time.

Wild Robots Year 1’s learning theme for the spring term was inspired by their book ‘The Wild Robot’. Pupils followed Roz on her Staff sent invitations out in the post for a special Roscars ceremony, which included mocktail recipes. On the day of the Roscars, pupils and staff watched their films whilst sipping mocktails and eating their homemade Robot-themed cakes, dressed in their best finery and all from the comfort of their own homes!

Batty About Bats Jonathan in Year 2 featured in an edition of The Young Batworker Magazine, after he impressed the Bat Conservation Trust with his bat habitat design.

Year 2 learnt about the natural world in the spring term, including hibernation. The children were asked to research an animal of their choice which hibernates. After producing an information sheet, they then made a habitat box based on the same animal in their art lesson.

Jonathan chose to focus on the vampire bat, one of his favourite animals. He created a detailed fact sheet and designed a cave habitat, complete with hibernating origami bats. After seeing the photos of Jonathan’s bat habitat on Twitter, the Bat Conservation Trust contacted St Peter’s School and asked if they could feature Jonathan’s design in the next edition of The Young Batworker Magazine. Jonathan has always loved bats and one of his favourite superheroes is Batman!

National Book Week Children at St Peter’s 2-8 enjoyed a very exciting week for National Book Week! Throughout the week the children watched members of staff and monitors reading stories, including the Head Master, Mr Walker. There were also quizzes and prizes, including ‘Who is hiding behind the book?’

Children at St Peter’s 2-8 took on an ‘extreme reading’ challenge and took pictures of themselves reading in some unusual locations. Prizes went to Tilly in her canoe, Sasha who read at great heights, Annaliese for reading in a tree and Alice who read quietly in her bedroom... on top of her wardrobe!

For World Book Day the children dressed up as their favourite character from a book. This year the theme was ‘Reuse, Recycle and Create’, using items found at home. Prizes were awarded for the most creative costumes in assembly with an exciting Zoom fashion show. The winners for the most imaginative costumes went to Albert, Aurora, Joseph and Miles. Grab Your Backpack! The theme for the summer term at St Peter’s 2-8 was Grab Your Backpack and Let’s Go Travelling! Our pupils enjoyed learning about different cultures and faraway lands.

Reception hosted backpack adventure sessions and used their own travel experiences to direct their learning. Each week, four children from each class shared with their classmates the places they have travelled to around the world. The teachers used their adventures to create an interactive map accessible through a QR code, featuring the children’s photos from their adventures.

Year 1 focused on Asia and the core text Elephants of the Tsunami. The children learnt all about the mistreatment of elephants in Asia and even made a Zoom call to Phuket Elephant Sanctuary to find out more about these amazing creatures. The pupils learnt about different Asian countries along the way, exploring concepts including faith, spirituality and belief, happiness and dreams, adversity, democracy and strength. They have been chefs, explorers, artists, inventors, builders and much more. They concluded with a Grand Exhibition for parents, to showcase their learning throughout the term and to sell homemade products in aid of the elephants at the sanctuary.

Year 2 learnt about Madagascar and its indigenous plants and animals, including lemurs and vanilla. Pupils explored the world map and oceans including looking at climates, continents and the Equator. In class, the children discovered the importance of conservation, debated animals in captivity, and baked vanilla biscuits to raise money for the charity Vanilla for Change, which is committed to giving a fair price to vanilla farmers in Madagascar. The pupils had a very extensive reading list including Madagascar, Into the Jungle, One Plastic Bag and The Big Book of Just So Stories.

Year 3’s learning theme was ‘On the Road to Africa’, inspired by their class text The Boy Who Biked The World by Alastair Humphreys. The pupils explored continents and countries around the world and learnt about different cultures and religions, from Christianity to Islam. On their journey they baked French baguettes and explored the work of wonderful artists including Paul Cezanne and Friedensreich Hundertwasser. The children also researched famous explorers of the past and present and looked at STEM designs of famous landmarks, such as the Blue Mosque in Istanbul and the Egyptian Pyramids. A highlight of the journey was definitely Africa, which inspired the children to create their own Masai Shields in Kenya and Tinga Tinga art in Tanzania.